


Ares

by Iris (ise)



Series: In which Sherlock is a Greek god [1]
Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Not to be taken seriously, Omniscient Mycroft, Sherlock is a God
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 05:30:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ise/pseuds/Iris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which John is surprised by a rainbow, and Sherlock is a Greek god.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The rainbow

"Sherlock, why is there a rainbow in our living room?" John was used to quite a lot from living with Sherlock, but this was just ridiculous.

"Tell her to go away!"

Er, okay. That didn't really make any sense at all. John opened the door to Sherlock's bedroom - what was Sherlock doing in his bedroom, anyway? It wasn't as if he slept much. "And how, exactly, am I supposed to ask a rainbow to go away?"

"Very politely," came a voice from right behind him. "She doesn't like being bossed around by mortals."

John spun around, and was faced with a beautiful woman. Or rainbow. Or quite possibly an angel. She did have wings, after all. But were angels supposed to look like rainbows? "What?"

"Iris," said Sherlock with his most charming, and fake, smile. "Why are you here?"

"Your father is not very pleased with you, Ares," the rainbow answered.

"My father has never been pleased with me," Sherlock answered nonchalantly. "He said so in the Iliad. It's hardly news."

The rainbow smiled. John had never seen a rainbow smile before, and he thought it looked scary. But then, he had never seen a rainbow that looked like a woman before either - or was that a woman who looked like a rainbow? "Zeus gave me a message for you, and you alone."

"I'll just be off, then," John said, and made himself a cup of tea in the kitchen. He rather thought he needed it.


	2. The brother

A cup of tea was not enough.

Something really strange had just happened, John gathered as much. He was, however, not sure about what. But Sherlock had mentioned the Iliad. And the rainbow - Iris? - had called Sherlock Ares. And talked about Zeus.

John reluctantly opened his laptop. Some research seemed to be necessary.

When John's phone rang ten minutes later, he was even more confused than before.

"Reading about Greek mythology, Doctor Watson? What a _fascinating_ subject."

John couldn't really bring himself to be surprised by the fact that Mycroft apparently knew all about his internet activity. "Good afternoon to you too, Mycroft."

"I suppose you have learnt about my brother's... identity," said Mycroft. "I do hope you won't leave him because of it. It's hardly his fault, you know."

"Can't choose your parents," John agreed, deciding that this was not the time to obsess over the fact that he and Sherlock were nothing but friends and flatmates, thank you very much. "Wait - if he's Ares, and you are his brother - who exactly are _you_?"

"I did warn you, you know," said Mycroft, completely ignoring John's question. "When you walk with Sherlock Holmes, you see the battlefield. Hard not to, when you have the god of war for a companion."

"Right," said John before he realised that Mycroft was no longer on the phone. "Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mycrofts real identity may come up in a later work.


	3. The flatmate

Sherlock was obviously in a foul mood when he entered the living room a short while later. John looked up from his computer, uncertain how to broach the subject. "Where did the rainbow go?"

"Iris," said Sherlock, as if that was an answer. "Do you believe her? She actually warned me about you. She told me I was indiscreet, sharing a flat with you. Me! Indiscreet! And she was the one who came here, with wings and all -"

"Rainbowy?"

"Yes!"

"Is that a problem?" John asked carefully. Mycroft's phone call hadn't helped much - he still had no idea how these things worked. "Am I in trouble? Should I try to - I don't know - avoid thunderstorms in the future, or something?"

"It is generally wise to avoid thunderstorms," Sherlock answered cryptically. "But you are not in trouble, no."

"Good," said John, and released a breath he wasn't aware of holding. "That's good. And - are _you_ in trouble?"

"Not any more than usual."

"That is a yes, then."

Sherlock very firmly did not roll his eyes.

"So you are the god of war," John said when it became obvious that Sherlock was not going to volunteer any more information.

"The Greek god of war, yes," Sherlock answered. "I'm hardly the _only_ god of war."

"Right." He had to get back to that, but this was way too much to process already. "And your name is Ares."

"Call me Sherlock."

"Right. And your father is Zeus."

"Yes."

John closed his eyes. He was beginning to get a headache. "This is insane."

"Not insane. Merely a paradigm shift."

John thought about it for a second before shaking his head. "Nope. Still insane."

Sherlock smiled at him. "Maybe a little bit."


	4. The greek god

"You are the god of war," John said finally. "I just - I'm not sure whether or not that's a good thing. I've been to war, you know."

Sherlock looked rather amused. "I know."

"Yes. Yes. Of course you do." John didn't know how to say what he wanted to say without offending Sherlock. Offending gods was a bit not good, wasn't it? "War is not pretty."

"But you love war."

"I don't -" John stopped himself. No use getting worked up. And yes, he did love feeling useful and making a difference. That was not the important thing right now. "War is tragic and horrible. Innocent people suffer. People die."

"Yes," Sherlock agreed. "And you might not like that part of it. But you love the part where the not-so-innocent people suffer. And you practically live for the part where people _don't_ die. I'm not all about death and suffering, you know."

"You're not?" John swallowed. "Right. I should have known that."

"How much do you really know about greek gods, John?"

"That you live on Mount Olympus? Only that - you obviously don't."

"Very good, John. Excellent deduction."

"I have read your article on wikipedia."

"Anything interesting?"

"You have a whole bunch of children. With an impressive list of different goddesses." John scrolled down the screen.

"I do, don't I?"

"Even Aphrodite!"

"Yes. What wikipedia doesn't know, however, is that I also have a history with most of the male gods."

John looked up from the computer. "Right."

"Certainly you have learned that I am not very popular amongst the other Olympians."

"I might have read something to that account, yes. Shocking, really."

"Quite."

"But you're telling me that those two are related, right? That the reason the other gods don't like you is not because you cause war and violence, but because - because they are your spurned lovers, or something?"

"I have been told I can be irresistible." Sherlock moved in front of John.

John tried to laugh, but it sounded rather forced. "Yes. I - I can see that."

"I am the father of Eros, you know." And that should have been a cheesy line, it really should, but apparently it wasn't when a god said it.

John closed the laptop. "Right."

"And you _do_ love war."


End file.
